‘Baseless’: India condemns UN Special Rapporteur’s remarks on Kashmir G20 meet

New Delhi: India on Tuesday rejected the statement of UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, against holding the G20 meeting citing human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. India termed the UN Special Rapporteur’s statement as “baseless and unwarranted” and criticized him for “trying to politicize the issue”. India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva also said that India, as the G20 Chair, has the right to host its meetings in any part of the country. In his statement, Fernand de Varennes said that holding the G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, while “human rights violations continue, is supporting India’s efforts to normalize the denial of democratic and other rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities”. “

India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva said on Twitter, “We @IndiaUNGeneva strongly reject the statement issued by SR @fernanddev on minority issues and the baseless and unwarranted allegations therein. As G20 Chair, in any part of your It is India’s privilege to host the meetings.” of the country.”

We @IndiaUNGeneva Strongly reject the statement issued by SR on minority issues @fernanddev And in this baseless and unfair allegations. As the G20 Chair, it is India’s prerogative to host its meetings in any part of the country. (1/2)@UNHumanRights @volker_turk @MEAIndia– India at United Nations, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) May 16, 2023

The Indian mission said, “We agree that @fernanddev has acted irresponsibly to politicize the issue, posting his presumptive and prejudicial findings on social media in gross violation of the code of conduct for SR Misusing his position as SR to generate publicity.”

UN Special Rapporteur’s statement on the G20 meet

The UN Special Rapporteur, Dr. Fernand de Varennes, claimed that the government was “justifying what some have called a military occupation by using the G20 meeting and showing an international ‘stamp of approval’ to UN human rights chief Volker Turk despite , told the UN Human Rights Council a few weeks ago that the human rights situation in the Kashmir region was worrying.

holding a #g20 In the drawing room #Jammu and Kashmir while on a large scale #human right supporting the efforts being made by #India to normalize the brutal and oppressive denial of democratic and other rights of #Kashmiri #Muslim And #Minority, pic.twitter.com/fjLSjovfKXUnited Nations Special Envoy on Minority Issues (@fernanddev) May 15, 2023

In his statement, he also alleged that Kashmiri Muslims are facing large-scale rights violations including atrocities, extra-judicial killings and curtailment of political rights after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.